The engine of Rick’s quad missed a couple of times, giving a last gasp before it died of fuel starvation. They both carried a Jerry can full of petrol, but as there was only an hour’s hike, they decided to keep that for the return trip. A few carefully placed branches hid the quads from view just beyond the tree line.

Rick helped Adie with her pack before getting his own. They set of on the final leg of their journey for that night.

Rick set a fast pace, he knew if they didn’t make eye contact with the cabin once the sun dipped below the lower ridge they have to set up the tent or they’d lose the light they’d need to be able to do it. The mountain was too dangerous to walk in the dark. He’d be fine, his eyes were made for hunting in the dead of night, but Adie was another matter entirely. One wrong step and she’d be back down the mountain, the painful way.

He was so busy watching the sway of her hips and the way her ass cheeks would contract alternately as she walked just ahead of him, he didn’t see the tree root poking up from the edge of the trail until he tripped over it. The next second, he was tumbling down the side of a steep ravine, frantically snatching at branches as he slid past them. He came to a standstill on the edge of a steep rock face with a resounding crunch as his head made contact with the large rock that stopped any further descent and possibly saved his life.

Damp leaves and small twigs stuck to his clothes and hair, hiding the injury to the back of his head until Adie got within a couple of feet of him. She thanked the trees for slowing her slide as she steadied herself by bracing her foot on the rock, and brushed the dirt and leaves from the wound so she could see how bad it was. The coppery scent of blood filled her nose. She removed his hair from the deep cut while pouring water from a bottle she had in her pocket to rinse away the remaining dirt.

With her hands placed side by side, hovering over the wound, she thought the power word, Shocru. A soft white glow formed under her hands. In moments, the cold tingle of healing energy left her hands as blue sparks joined the glow, flowing into his body.

Perhaps five minutes after the sparks faded, he moaned and blinked his eyes a few times, trying to focus on her face. He raised his hand to touch his head.

“Don’t move yet,” she said. “You’re lying at the edge of a really steep drop.”

He jerked instantly alert at her warning, cringing as every muscle protested. “My head feels…numb.”

“That’s a good sign, it means the healing is working. We need to get you away from the edge. Do you think you can sit up? Use the rock to support your back.”

He manoeuvred himself up and back, looking around at the jagged rocks beneath them. “Jesus, that was close,” he swore, edging even further back.

“Understatement of the decade.” She snorted. “Now we have to get back up. I'm going to try to move the tree roots to form step-like platforms to help us. Are you ready?”

He nodded and reached for a small shrub, tugging gently to make sure it would hold his weight before he pulled himself forward with it.

Adie began chanting in whispers. The earth answered her by loosening its grip on the tree roots, allowing them to rise to the surface in horizontal lines, solidifying again to hold them there. It took twenty minutes to crawl back up the hill that took Rick less than thirty seconds to fall down. 

They collapsed onto the dirt path and lay there for a few minutes, Rick recovering from the strain of the climb and Adie from her use of magic.

“The sun's getting low,” she observed, looking toward the sinking sun in the valley. “Is the cabin much further?”

“Round the next bend and we’re on the home straight.”

“I don’t want to be a moan, but do you think we could move a bit quicker? I really don’t want to spend the night in a tent when there’s a comfy cabin around the corner.”

“Are you trying to kill me or just tire me out so you won’t have to make good on your promise?”

“What promise would that be?"

“The one that lets me get enough practice to go from nice to mind blowing.”

She laughed and stood up, offering him her hand. “Come on slow poke, keep up and I’ll think about not calling you out on that lie.” 

Much to his surprise Adie made not one word of complaint the rest of the way, she kept her head down and ploughed on. What surprised even more was the fact that she wasn’t even panting; the pace she set was fast and the altitude over 1,000ft. She should have been breathing heavily like him, instead she was breathing normally, as if she was out for a stroll in the park.

They leant on the railing surrounding the cabin, watching as the last rays of the sun vanished below the base of the deep V in the valley. Rick was right, the sight was beyond incredible. Adie felt like a god, looking down at the earth from the heavens, through the cloud that had settled just below the ridge beneath them. Within minutes, twinkling beacons began to appear randomly across the lower sections of the mountainside as people turned on their house lights.

Rick’s stomach chose that moment to rumble in protest at having skipped dinner in their rush to make it to the cabin. “I’ve got burgers, biscuits and nuts for supper.”

“Your mother packed some stuff in my rucksack while you were teaching me the controls for the quad. She said, and I quote, ‘Knowing Rick he’ll have a mountain of junk food, so I packed a few things for your supper’. I think it's roast chicken. She also said there were beans and tinned potatoes in the cupboard that should still be in date”

“Yes!” he exclaimed. “Thank you, Mom! Do you want to make dinner or light the fire? The temperature will drop a fair bit now the suns gone down.”

Adie made herself familiar with the kitchen and set about preparing dinner while Rick got the generator up and running. It made a soft putter as it sprang to life, and when the door of its housing was closed it became virtually silent. It would provide enough electricity to power the lights and the pump for the radiators, and once the fire was lit, they’d have hot water to circulate through them and enough for a hot shower.

Chicken and bean stew sounded strange to Adie's simple tastes, but it smelled great, even when it was cold. All she needed now was Rick to light the range so she could heat it up.

“What is taking him so long with the firewood?” she muttered as she went to investigate, grabbing the torch from the table on her way past. “Rick?” she called. There was no answer. “Rick!” she yelled louder, still with no reply.

She turned the torch on, stepping off the porch to cross the bare earth to the generator store and the pile of firewood. He was nowhere to be seen. He’s probably up to something, she thought, gathering an armful of firewood and heading back in to light the range herself.

After stacking the wood in the range, she called for a little flicker of flame to get it started. It wasn't her element, though she did have enough control of it to start a small fire. It caught to the dry kindling quicker than she anticipated. To the roast chicken and baked beans she put in a pot, she added tinned carrots, swede and potatoes she found in the cupboard, placing it on a hotplate on top of the range to warm.

The lights went out. Adie froze as everything was thrown into darkness. Once her eyes adjusted, the faint glow from the fire burning behind the closed door of the range provided a minimal light to see by.

“If he’s playing a prank, I’ll seriously maim him! Ugh!” she exclaimed, banging her hip on the table as she rummaged around for the torch she’d left there. When she finally got her hand on the elusive thing, she stomped outside again. “Rick I swear if your memmm…” A hand covering her mouth silenced her tirade.

“Quiet bitch,” a strange male voice whispered by her ear. “Don’t move and I won’t have to hurt you.” She could feel the cold metal of the blade he held to her side through her top. “Hey, Rick! It looks like we got ourselves a bargaining chip. You’d better come out or your bitch will feel more than the prick of my blade,” he yelled to the darkness.

“Listen, we don’t want trouble, we’re just passing through,” Rick called back from behind them.

The assailant spun with her to face the direction Rick’s voice had come from. “Well now we have a problem 'cause I know who your folks are and I was told to keep an eye for any of you Regis lions snooping around here.”

“This is our land. You’re the one trespassing.”

“Not anymore Sunshine, we got us a new boss and you’re movin out.” He snarled, spinning to face Rick who had moved again.

“The others will be here soon, I suggest you move on quickly before they get here,” Rick advised.

“Nah ah ah.” The intruder said in a sing-song as he twirled the knife at Adie’s side. “Nice try. Your home is surrounded and the rest of my pride are moving in at midnight to take the place. Pure chance we caught sight of your quads down the road.”

“Just let the girl go. She has nothing to do with any of this,” Rick called from the side again.

The attacker bent his head to her neck, inhaling deeply. “She’s your bitch; I can smell you all over her. That makes her part of it too, whether she’s human or not.” He moved the knife away from her side to point it at the darkness hiding Rick as he spoke.

Adie seized her chance and bit his hand, twisting from his grip then slamming her knee into his crotch. He swung the knife toward her, slicing the air. She jumped back just out of reach. Her instincts took over. She kicked the knife from his hand, following with the heel of her hand to his nose. He staggered, but managed to stay upright. He swung his fist blindly, catching her temple as she ducked too late. Rolling as she hit the ground, she was on her feet in a second, but had to a crouch when something big flew over her head.

The discarded torch illuminated the white beast that pinned the assailant to the ground with its enormous front paws. It glanced at her then returned its attention to the man flailing his arms around in the dirt beneath it. She saw the glint of the knife a fraction of a second before he lodged it in the tiger’s side.